QUICK REVIEW: SnapPower Guidelight 2 Plus Outlet Cover

Disclaimer: The folks at SnapPower very kindly provided several Guidelight 2s for this review. As always, the opinions are my own.

A few years ago, we reviewed the SnapPower Guidelight, an outlet cover that add’s built-in ambient night lights to almost any outlet. It’s an awesome product that we still enjoy today, so when SnapPower offered to send us their new and improved model (that can also work with GCFI outlets!), I jumped at the chance to check it out.

Is the SnapPower Guidelight 2 Plus still a worthy upgrade to your outlets? Read on to find out!

Look and Feel

There was little to complain about in the original model, but the folks at SnapPower have found some great ways to improve an already fantastic product.

The outlet covers on the Guidelight 2 themselves are just a hair bigger, maybe a few millimeters taller and wider, but not so much so that you would notice it next to the original unless you were really looking. They feature the same high-quality construction, but two key physical upgrades over the original model: a minimal dimness/on-off switch and a six-LED diffused “light bar” that replaces the distinct three-LED pattern found on the original. The dimness switch includes the ambient light sensor, and is actually less noticeable than the black dot on the original in my mind. We’ll talk more about the light quality in the next section.

The best part of the look of these is that they don’t look like anything unusual; if anything, during the day, they blend in a little bit better than the original models.

Performance and User Experience

Installing the Guidelight 2 is still a 10-second affair (even on GCFI outlets), and so brainlessly simple that you’ll want to add them everywhere. Cut the power, unscrew the previous cover, wiggle the new one on until it fits in the outlet box, and screw it in.

Turn the power pack on and cut the lights, and you’ll immediately notice that these produce a beautifully diffused light that makes you home look like a million bucks at night. A strip of six tiny LEDs are blended together in a way that produces a consistent soft glow to striking effect. Check out the side-by-side below to see how it compares to the previous model.

The feature I’m enjoying more than I thought I would is the ability to dim the light level or even turn these off entirely if need be. Although full-blast isn’t overwhelming, having the option to dim these by about 50% is great, especially if you’re sleeping in the same room as one. You can even turn them all off if you’re going to be away for a while if you want to ensure you’re not wasting power (even though they barely use any to begin with!).

Compatibility

This is an area that’s hugely improved in the Guidelight 2; you can now grab a version that’s compatible with GCFI outlets for the same price! It was a bummer to leave our bathrooms dark after we outfitted our home with the originals, so adding the GCFI version to our master bathroom and kids bathrooms is a huge win (especially since outlet space is at a premium in those environments).

Make sure you order the right format for your outlet, and you should be able to pick one up that’s compatible with almost any outlet in your home.

Build Quality and Reliability

Some friends of ours bought knock-off brands from both Home Depot and Amazon, and it was immediately obvious that SnapPower is a league ahead of these competitors. The Guidelight 2’s lights don’t flicker, the color temperature is consistent across multiple covers, and you can rest assured that the lights won’t burn out! In fact, SnapPower promises the covers to last for more than 25 years.

Affordability

The Guidelight 2 continues to be a good deal at $19, especially given their premium “built-in-lighting” feel that they add to a room. They can be a bit expensive if you’re purchasing individually, so I would advise buying bulk packs to save about 20%.

Conclusion

The SnapPower Guidelight 2 Plus is easy to love. It’s affordable, simple to install, and is one of the most tangible upgrades for adding a luxury feel to your home. Whether you’ve been on the fence about picking some up or are considering upgrading from the original model, I think you’ll love all of the new features.

Look and Feel

Performance and User Experience

Compatibility

Build Quality and Reliability

Affordability

OVERALL

RECOMMENDED

It's affordable, simple to install, and is one of the most tangible upgrades for adding a luxury feel to your home.

Author

Eric Murrell

Eric is the creator of At Home in the Future and has been a passionate fan of the future since he was seven. He's a web developer by trade, and serves as the Director of Communication and Technology for a large church in Nashville, TN (where he and his family are building a high tech home in the woods).

Hi, thanks for the review. How is the auto off function in the new version of the light? I read some reviews that complained the old versions almost always stayed on even when the overhead lights were turned on. That would be really annoying to me.